Jules gersant



,rUNITED STAT Es PATENT, OFFI E.

.Junns ounsnn'r, or DEAL, Ann. AROHIBALD enonon BUTTIFANT, or

LONDON, ENGLAND.

SPECIFI QATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 583,683, dated June 1,1897.

Application filed May 5, 1896. Serial No. 590,385. (No specimens.)Patented in England September 13, 1894, No. 17,442; in Belgium November12, 1894, No. 112,695; in Italy November 12, 1894, No. 37,604; in FranceNovember 13, 1894, No. 242,880; in Switzerland November 15, 1894, No.9,492; in Germany November 16, 1894, No. 81,292; in Spain November17,1894,No.16,576; in Austria December 14, 1894,No. 1,935; in NorwayJanuary 21, 1895, No. 4,208; in Sweden Jannary 21,1895,No. 6,681; in NewSouth Wales Maroh14,1895,No. 5,679; in Canada March 15, 1895, No. 50,733;'in Queensland March 15, 1895,No. 2,926; in New Zealand March20,1895,No. 7,498; in Portugal May 30, 1895, No 2,009; in Tasmania June22, 1895, No. 1,455, and in South Australia July 5,189 5,N0.3,887.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, J ULES GERSANT, residing at 71 College Road, Deal,Kent, and ARCHIBALDGEORGE BUTTIFANT, residing at 8 St. Benet Place,Gracechurch Street, E. 0., London, England, subjects of the Queen ofEngland,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processesfor Hermetically Sealing Metal Boxes, Cans, &c., (for which we haveobtained foreign Letters Patent in the following countries:GreatBritain, N 0. 17,442, dated September 13, 1894; Belgium, No.112,695, dated November 12, 1894; Italy, N 0. 37,604, dated November 12,1894; France, No. 242,880, dated November 13,1894; Germany, No. 81,292,dated November 16, 1894; Austria, No. 1,935, dated December 14, 1894;Switzerland, No. 9,492, dated Novem ber 15, 1894; Spain, N0.16,576,dated November17, 1894; Canada, No. 50,733, dated March 15, 1895;Norway, No. 4,208, dated January 21, 1895; Sweden, No. 6,631, datedJanuary 21, 1895; Queensland, No. 2,926, dated March 15,1895; New SouthWales, No. 5,679, dated March 14, 1895'; South Australia, No. 3,887,dated July 5, 1895; Tasmania, No. 1,455, dated June 22, 1895; NewZealand, No. 7,498, dated March 20, 1895, and Portugal, No. 2,009, datedMay 30, 1895;) and we hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to an improved method of'hermetically sealingpreviouslyfilled metal boxes, cans, 850., such as those intended forpreserving alimentary substances and other articles, in which saidboxes, cans, &c. are composed of iron, steel,or other plates having anoriginal coating or coatings of tin 'or other fusible metal or materialthereupon.

This invention consists, essentially, in uniting the top and bottom withthe side or body of the box or can by a rolled seam that projects abovethe plane of the top of the can, then inclosing the outer peripheralwall of this scam within a circumscribing envelop or constituting theouter part or first lap thereof and without correspondingly heating theinner folds or laps of the rolledseam, which said inner folds areunconfined and are exposed to the action of the exterior air to assistin maintaining said portions substantially cool, the whole of the rolledseam being above the plane ofthe can-head, so that the con tents of thecan are not affected by the heat appliedto the seamed portion.

. In the accompanying drawings we illustrate a means for carrying outour process, in which Figures 1, 2, and 3 illustrate steps in theformation of a rolled seam. Fig. 4 illustrates the seam confined andbeing acted on by the wall of flame. Fig. 5 is a plan view of Fig. 4,but showing the casing A complete.

In carrying out our invention the heads and body of the can or box areunited bya seaming-machine of suitable form, and which will produce arolled seam a of several laps or' folds, said seam projecting from thetop of the can-head, so that it will lie entirely above the planethereof and of the contents of the can or box. The material from whichthe can or box is formed is provided with the usual original coating oftin, and the several steps of forming the rolled seam are clearlydisclosed in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

When the seam has been rolled into sub stantially the form shown in Fig.4, it is inclosed within a circumscribing envelop or casing A, which inFig. 5 is shown as having a combustion-chamber I), having a slot 0 inits front, the upper and lower walls of which practically constitutejaws, since they are adapted to inclose the outer peripheral wall of therolled seam and to closely engage the upper and lower" edges of the seamandfto confine the heat, so that it may have direct access to the outerportion of the seam.' Back of the combustion-chamber and separatedtherefrom by a foraminous wall is a second chamber (1, which contains atube e, through which combined air and gas or other vapors may beadmitted, which when ignited produce a wall of heat entirelycircumseribing that when the body of heat is caused to im-.

. pinge directly and simultaneously against the entire length of theouter peripheral wall of the rolled seam the intense heat will fuse theoriginal coating of tin between the confined adjacent faces of the outerfolds to form a hermetically-sealed joint without the employment of asoldering-iron or of solder or other soldering composition. The innerperipheral folds or laps of the seam are also not substantially heated,as the external air acts thereon during the sealing process, and thecontents of the can are not affected by the heat, as the rolled seam isentirely above the plane of such contents and projects above a [teases II the plane of the outer-surfaceof the head, as ho v The operation ofhermetically sealing the joints is thus greatly facilitated, and'aieonsi'derable saving inthe cost of production and labor is effected.l

' Having thus describedonr invention,what

we claim as new, and desire to secure by'Letters Patent, is

The method herein described of hermetically sealing the heads uponfusibly-coated metal boxes and cans, which consists in first uniting thehead .to the body by a rolled seam that projects above the plane of thehead,

then inclosing the outer peripheral portion of said seam within a circumscribiug envelop or casing so. that the inner peripheral wall mayremain exposed .to external air, and then admitting a wall of heat tothe envelop so that it will irnpinge simultaneously upon the entirelength of the outer peripheral wall of the rolled seam to fuse theoriginal coating between the confined adjacent faces of the

